Telephone signal-transmitter



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-:Sheet 1. E. G. BOBESF TELEPHONE SIGNAL TRANSMITTER.

N0. 576,472. Patented Feb. 2, 1897.

we Ncmms warns can vflm'amncp WASHNGTON, u. c,

2 Shees-Sheet 2,

Patented Feb. 2, 1897;

ikg'ji Inventor,

,(No Model.)

- E. O. ROBES.

'TELE'PHONE SIGNAL TRANSMITTER. No. 576,472.

UNITED STATES PATENT rricn.

ERNEST C. ROBES, OF MEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERI- CANBELL TELEPHONE COMPANY, BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TELEPHONE SIG MAL-TRANSMITTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 576,472, dated Februare, 1897.

Application filed July 25, 1896. Serial No. 600,477. (No model.)

To aw w/tom it mag concern: r Be it known that I, ERNEST C. ROBES, re-

siding at \Vest Medford, in the county of Middles'ex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in TelephoneSignaL'lransmitters, of which the following isa specification,

The present invention relates to signalsending devices for electriccircuits, and espe- IO cially to a form of signal-transmitter for thesubscribers station of a telephone-circuit adapted to automatically sendmultiple, in-

dependent,- arbitrary, and determinate signals for the operation of asuitable signal-rc- I 5 ,ceininginstmmentand' provided with means forsimultaneously setting the signal-sending mechanism and for winding amotor, and also with means actuated by the telephone hook-switch forreleasing the signal-sending and the motor mechanism to operate thesignal-receiver for closing the circuit at the substation and finallyfor restoring the mechanism to its normal condition.

, I prefer to describe the invention in con nection with the UnitedStates Patent No. 559,367, issued May 5, 1896, to Joseph P. Davis, inwhich is described an invention which permits a telephone-subscriber todesignate to an attendant at a central station a 0 particular group ofsubscribers among which the desired correspondent may be found.

I may employ any suitable signal-receiver, but a device similar to thatdescribed in Patent No. 72,742, issued December 31, 1867, to

S. S. Laws, in which there is a wheel having upon its rim characteristicsignalsadapted to be rotated opposite a window or opening by electricimpulses from the transmitter, is found to be convenient.

The signal-transmitter maybe inclosed in a case atatelephone-substation, and in circuits of modern arrangement may beplaced a normally open bridge between the circuitconductors,withthetelephones. It isbrought into operation by the conjoint action of aturn-wheel and pointer and the automatic hooktelephone-switch. Twowaysare provided for connecting the telephone instruments into the ,circuitand for indicating a call to the central-offiee operator: First, by

removing tne telephone from the hook-switch, which closes a circuit atthe su bstation around the signal-transmitter and causes the signalreceiver at the central office to indicate that a call is made forasub'station-line upon the 5 same switchboard section; second, when acall is to be made for a subscriber whose line terminates upon anothersection of the switchboard or in another centraloffice the pointer. ofthe signal-transmitter is turned by means 'of the turn-wheel to thenumber representing the telephone allows the switch-lever to rise andrelease the signal-sending mechanism, which is thereupon automaticallyoperated by 'one ofthe said springs, and the impulses sent or successivecircuit interruptions cause the signal-receiver at the central stationtoindicate the number representing the said desired station, while at thesame time the substation-telephones are connected into the circuitthrough the circuit-breaker contact and break-wheel. 5 8

After the signal'has been sent the apparatus comes to a stop, thecircuit is closed, and simultaneously therewith the mechanism isautomatically locked and cannot be released except by means of thehook-switch. When 0 the telephone is hung up or replaced on thehook-switch, the latter is depressed and releases a second mechanismoperated by the second-spring, and this acts to restore the pointer toits original or'resting position. and 5 brings the instrument intoreadiness for another call. When a substation is called, the telephoneis removed from the hook-switch to answer, whereupon the latter risesand closes the circuit around the signal-trans- Ioo is provided with alip under which the spring initter to inc ude the telephones, as firstdescribed in the. calling of the central office, without in any wayaffecting the signal-send- .ingportion of the apparatus.

1 will now proceed to describe the invention .in detail in connectionwith the appended 1 is a front view; Fig. 2, a rear View; Fig. 3,

a top view; Fig.4, a section on line a a of Fig. 2. Figs. 5 and 6,respectively, are sections on lines .2". a: and y 1 of Fig. 4; and Fig.7 is an end view.

Fig. 1 is on a scale of one-half the size of the other figures,'andshows the supportingplate 2, the turn-wheel 3, pointer 4;, and indear:I), a being the telephone hook-switch, which is represented as beingdepressed in all of the figures, although the telephone is notshown asbeing thereon.

The hook-switch c is pivotediby the screw 5 to the plate 2 and islimited in its movenient by the pins 10 and 11. 'It is provided with thepawl-detent l6, pivoted thereto by the screw -18 and held in a downwardposition by means of the spiraL spring 47, and when the hook switch 0 isdepressed the end of the detent 46 is opposite and in the path of thepin 45 on the spur-wheel 18. The turn-wheel 3 is secured to the spindled, which projects through he plate 2 and supporting bracket or bridge 12and supports theindex-wheellG,

the spur-u heel 18, the hub 43 ofthe circuitbreaker'contact spring orbrusl1,and the breakwheel 25. A flanged annulus 14 surrounds the spindled and is secured to the plate 2 by screws 15. One end of; a volutespring e is secured to the annulus, its other end being connected to thespindle. The index-wheel 1.6 has-a hollow hub 17, in .which is placedanother volute spring f, one' end of which is secured to the hub and theother to the hub h of the spur-wheel 18. The wheel 16 is secured to thespindle d and moves with it, while the wheel 18 isloose upon the spindle(Z. The

spring 2 winds tothe right and the springf to the left.

The wheel 16 has a pin 38 in the path of the pin 37 on the wheel 18, andits periphery is divided into depressions or notches equal in number tothe divisions of the index Z) on the front of the plate 2, and in one ofthese notches the pin 31 on the locking-lever normally rests. The lever.30 is pivoted on the screw 44, and the pin 31 is heldin the depressionin the wheel 16by the spiral spring 8. A'second locking-lever 33 ispivoted at 34 to the underside of the hook-switch lever c'and 36 bears,tcnding'to force the lower end'of the lever 33 against the pin 32 in thelever 30, while a pin 60 011 the wheel 16 normally holds the lever 33away from the pin 82.

The spur-wheel 18 meshes with the pinion 19 on the spindle 20,which alsocarries a ratchetwheel 21, which is provided with an escapement 23,located on the spindle 22,which has upon one of its ends a retarding-fan24.

The circuit-breaking contact-spring con sists of the hub 43, secured tothe hub 55 of the wheel 18 by the set-screw i, with an arm 42 extendingtherefrom upon which is secured the contact-spring 41,-the end of whichnormally restsupon the insulating-pin in the bridge-support 12, whichholds it away from contact with the break-wheel '25. The wheel 25 isinsulated from the spindle d by the thimble 26 and is secured thereto bythe setscrew- 56.

29 is a binding-post insulated from but secured to thebridge-support 12,from which a contact-arm 28 extends to the end of the hub. of thebreak-wheel.

Fig. 8' shows the signal-transmitter C at a telephone-substation withthe telephones T and t in a normally open branch between the conductorsand 51, which extend to the central station 0 O.

D is a high-resistance call-bell bridged in between the said conductors.At the central .office the conductors are shown as being provided with aconnecting-socket J and a signal-indicator S at one section F of-aswitchboard, with connecting-socke't J at another section G thereof andwith'a battery E.

' When a subscriber wishes to call the section F or receives a call, thetelephone t is removed from the l1ook-switoh c, which rises and bringsthe spring 8, Figs. 2 and .3, into contact with the spring 9, closingthe circuit from A to B, through screw-post 29, spring- 28, hub 27,springs 9 and 8, and plate 2, and including therein the telephones t andT.

If the subscriber wishes to calla substation belongingto another group,or to another section of the switchboard, or to another central office,as the case may be, the wheel 3, with its pointer 4, is turned to thenumber or other mark of the index Z) by which said section or centraloffice is designated. The rotation of the wheel 3 and, its shaft (1simultaneously performs several operations. First, it winds up the twovolute motor-springs eand f as follows: The spindle d rotates in thedirection of the feathered arrow in Fig. 5, and winds the spring 6, itsother end being held by the ICC stationary annulus 14. At the same timethe end of the spring f moves with the wheel 16 and the hub 17, whileits other end is held by the hub h and wheel 18, which in turn is heldstationary by the locking-lever 46. Second, as the spindle d is rotated,carrying with it the wheel 16, the pin 31 on the lever 30 is forced downas the successive notches 39 pass over it until the'wheel com s to astop, when it presses into the resting-notch and prevents the wheel fromgoing backward. Third, at the' same time the min 60 moves away from theedge of the locking-lever 33, so that when the hook-switch c rises itsnotch 35 will clasp th'e'pin 32-. Fourth, the break-wheel 25 is alsorotated in the direction of the feathered arrow,

traced as followsz from A through binding- Fig. 2,'carrying away beyondthe bearingpoint of the make-and-break contact-spring 4:1 as many teethas there are impulses to be sent for the definite signal required. The

l-telephone't is then removed from the switchsupport, which moves upunder the influence of'the spring 6, carrying the pawl-detent46 with it,whereupon the spring f is permitted as it moves drops off from the pinQ0 and makes contact with as many of the teeth of the break-wheel ashave been moved beyond it, after which the pin 37=on the wheel .18strikes the 'pin 38 on the wheel 16-, and is thereby brought to a stop.Meanwhile the lever 33 has been forced forward by thespring,

36. until the pin 32 is engaged. by its notch 35, and the mechanism isthereby locked and cannot be operated by the manipulation of theturn-wheel 3 or byany means except by the hook-switch. By thisoperation, there-1 fore, the signal has now been sent, and the circuitis closed at thesu'bstation, and is post 29, spring 28, break-wheel 25,circuitbreaker 41, and the metal parts mittervto the Wire B. Theoperatorat the central office seeing the indication on thesigrial-receiver S, whose signal has been stepped round by itselectromagnetic mechanism,-aotuated by the successive current-impulses,connects the switch-socket J with the switchsocket, say J f the trunk orcircuit represented by the signal by means of the plugs- P and P andtheir cord-conductor. At the end of the conversation the telephone t isreturned to the hook-switch c, pressed, carriesdown the lever 33, nowen-. gaging the pin 32 of the lever 30, and consequently the latterlever is likewise depressed against the pull of the spring .9, freeingthe pin 31' from its notch in the upon the volute motor-spring e ispermitted to react and rotates the wheel 16 and the break- Wheel 25 tothe right, restoring the pointer 4 to its unison. At the same time, asthe pin 38 on the wheel 16 is in contact with the pin 37 on the wheel18, the latter, with the contactbreaker41, are also rotated with thewheel 16 and returned totheir normal positions. When the wheel 16reaches the end of its rotation, the pin forces the lever 33 away fromthe pin 32, and the pin 31 on the lever 3O enters the last notch 39 onthe. wheel 16,

and as the hook-switch comes to rest the locking-lever i6 springs inbehind the pin 45. The entire apparatus is thus enabled to resume itsnormal or'quieseent-condition. The escapement 23 controls and retardsthe reactionary movements of the motor-springs e and fin a manner wellunderstood. I

Having thus described my invention, I claim-- 1. Asignaltransmitterforatelephone-substation circuit adapted to automaticallysendof'the trans which, being de-,

wheel 16, where-.

V multiple independent arbitrary signals, consisting of a motormechanism, a signal-sending mechanism, a telephone hook-switchcontrolling the detents. of both, and means for simultaneously settingthe required signals,

and winding the actuating power of said mo- 4 tor and s'ignal sendingmechanisms; whereby when the signal-sending device is set the motoris-wound up,'when the telephone is removed from the hook-switch thesignal is sent to line and the-circuit closed, and when the telephone isreturnedto the hook-switch the' apparatus is restored to itsnormal-condition.

2. A multiple-transmitter signal for a telephone-substation, comprisinga motor mechanism' for sending the s1gnal,'a second andindependently-actuated mot-or mechanism, a device for simultaneouslysetting or. deter-.

mining the specific signal for transmission and winding both of the saidmotors, a releasing device for the signal-sending motor actu-' ated bythe movement of the automatic telephone-switch as the telephone isremoved therefrom, and a releasing device for the said second motoractuated by the opposite movement of the said telephone-switch as thetelephone is replaced thereon, the said second motor being" adapted torestore the signalsetting device to its normal condition.

3. A signal-transmitter in a normally open telephone circuit or branchcomprising means forsendingsuccessive independent arbitrary signals,motor mechanism actuatingthesame, a telephone hook-switch controllingthe said motor mechanism, means for closing the cir- .cuit round thesignal-sending mechanism, and

means for closing it through the said mechanism.

4. The combination in a signahtransmitter organized to automaticallysend multiple determinate signals from a subscribers station to thecentral station over atelephone-cireuit, of a signal-sending devicecomprising a circuit-wheel and associated contact-spring; a

double spring-actuated motor mechanism; a

si naLdetermining device including a turn w eel, index-pointer, and ashaft operated by the said turn-wheel, secured to the circuitwheel andone end of each motor-spring, and adapted to turn the circuit-wheel toany c esired point indicated by the index, andto simultaneously windboth springs; and a telephone switch-lever controlling the saiddouble-motor stop devices, and'adapted on. the

removal of the telephone therefrom to allow the said motor mechanism tobe actuated by one of its springs in adefinite direction to move thecontact-spring over the advanced portion of the circuit-wheel, andthereby transmit the signal, and on the replacement of the telephone, topermit the said motor mechanismto be actuated by its other spring in areverse direction, whereby the circuit wheel and index-pointer arerestored to their normal position. a

5. The combination in a telephone-circuit of a signal-transmitter and asignal-receiver,

- winding thenlotor; and with means controlled by the hook-switch forreleasing the signalsending device and also for restoring the mechanismto its normal condition. I

6. The combination in a telephone-circuit of a signal-transmitterand asignal-receiver, as set forth, the former being adapted to antomaticallysend and the latter to receive sue 'cessiveindependent arbitrarysignals; the

transmitter being provided-with means for simultaneously setting thesignal-sendin g device and, for winding the motor, and with meansactuated by the hook-switch forreleasing thesignal-sendin g device andactuatin g the signal-receiver, for closing the circuit, and forrestoring the mechanism to its normal condition.

'7. A signal-transmitter in a normally open telephone-circuit comprisingmeans for sendin g successive independent arbitrary signals, motormechanism actuating the same, a telephone hook-switch controlling thesaid motor mechanism, and means as specified for simultaneously closingthe circuit and locking the transmitter mechanism, asset forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification,in thepresence of .two'subscribin g witnesses, this 20th day of July 1896.

ERNEST C. ROBES. "\itncsses:

WINFIELD S. HutrcHINsoN 'lHoMAs D. LocKWoon.

Correction in Letters Patent No.-576,472.

. requiring correetion'as follows:

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 576,472, grantedFebruary 2, 1897, upon the application of Ernest G. Robes, of Medford,Massachusetts, for an improvement in Telephone Signal-Transmitters, anerror appears in the printed specification Iii 11118 81, page 3, thewords A multiple-transmitter signal should read A mztltinlesignal-trctnsmitter; and.- that the said Letters Patent should be read.tvith this correction therein that the same may conform to the record ofthe case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed, eouhtersigned, and sealed this 16th day of February, A. D. 1897.

[SEAL] J N O. M. REYNOLDS.

Assistant Secretary of the Interior. Gountersigned JoHN S. SEYMO R,

Commissioner of lzatents.

